High As A...

We have driven by this go-kart/bumper boat place a few times (it's almost an hour away) and it looks so cool and inviting from the road that we always want to stop. Today we finally did.

That was on our way HERE to Fort Macon, an old fort used during the Spanish-American War, Civil War, and World War II. It was built in 1800 something. Can't remember exactly. But it was very green and pretty. Justin took Owen here last year when I was in AZ for Derek and Alexa's wedding and I've been wanting to go ever since. There was a story there about a soldier who cooked bad bread that nobody could eat it was so gross. Well I think their term was "inedible." The main medical dude wanted him to be released so they wouldn't have to eat bad bread anymore. So MAYBE if Justin cooks bad bread he'll get "released!"

Anyway, in the background you can see where we headed next...

YAY! Our first beach trip of the year. We flew "The Red Baron" kite that Justin is now in love with. It was seriously fun! And relaxing in a weird way. And kind of addicting. Like I want to go back and fly a kite right now. There's this whole world of kite-flying I didn't even know existed. They have set times where people just come and fly kites together, even at night with lights on them. How fun! Kind of weird. But it'd be cool to see.

I'm so embarrassed I'm even posting this picture. But it makes me laugh.

The End.

Helmets Are Cool

Especially when they have furry lions on the side.
This was taken right after he said, "Run her over!"

Owen and his bike were destined for each-other (says Justin)

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Talking About Myself

I just got this questionnaire from Robyn (my sis-in-law). If you feel so inclined, email me your answers or post in your blog! I figure I can just refer anyone to this in the next year for all the other ones I'll probably be getting :)

FIVE JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE
1. Piano Teacher (Mesa)
2. Office Assistant for Rural Metro Fire Department (Scottsdale)
3. Data Entry Processor for Franklin Covey (Provo)
4. Receptionist/Media Buyer/Research Coordinator (not all at the same time) for Larry John Wright Advertising (Mesa and from my home in Pensacola, FL and Jacksonville, NC)
5. Babysitter (my least favorite)

FIVE MOVIES I CAN WATCH OVER AND OVER
1. Roman Holiday
2. Elf
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (original)
4. Monsters, Inc.
5. Sound of Music

FIVE PLACES I HAVE LIVED
1. Phoenix/Tempe/Mesa, AZ
2. Provo, UT
3. Pensacola, FL
4. Jacksonville, NC
5. We'll see within the next year... Hopefully West Coast anywhere (I like the East but it's too far from family)

FIVE TV SHOWS I LIKE TO WATCH
1. Amazing Race
2. Bravo Reality Shows (pretty much all except Work Out). Project Runway is my favorite.
3. Take Home Chef
4. The Office
5. Survivor

TEN PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION
1. Lake Powell (pretty much every summer growing up)
Cousin Stacie and I in 1993
2. San Francisco (honeymoon)

3. Upstate NY/Niagara Falls (1-year anniversary)
4. Nauvoo, IL (family reunion)
Carthage Jail (the window Joseph Smith fell out of after being shot)
5. Disneyland
6. New Orleans (Christmas 2003)
7. Washington DC

8. Virginia Beach
9. Las Vegas
10. Salt Lake City

FIVE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS
1. Cherry Cheesecake
2. Shredded Beef Tacos (Gecko Grill, Mangos)
3. Cinnamon Rolls
4. Fresh Fruit
5. Chocolate

FIVE PLACES I WOULD LIKE TO BE RIGHT NOW
1. Arizona
2. NY
3. Italy
4. DC
5. California

CRAZIEST THING I'VE DONE IN MY LIFE
Maybe someone else could answer that for me. Thing I'm most embarrassed about... acting like various animals during lunch the first day of high school. I was crazy in the head for doing that. But at the time I was confused and thought it was cool.

SOMETHING WEIRD I CAN DO WITH MY BODY

I walk like a duck. Not on purpose. No weird tricks though.

NICKNAMES I'VE HAD

Shauna Banana, Dayo, Shaunie

Good Things

The TLC show "Take Home Chef"
I don't know why it's so addicting. But I love watching while our dinner is cooking and wishing we were having what Curtis is making. Hmmmm... sloppy joes or home-made fettuccine?

Mmmmmm.

My new iron.
No, it's not a Rowenta.
But Consumer Reports recommended this one and it was half the price as the Rowenta we were looking at. I didn't know choosing an iron was such a big deal but I seriously HATED my last one (Proctor & Silex = BAD). My new one steams so much I get a facial every time I iron.

Captain Von Trapp singing "Edelweiss."
This song has been in my head for like 2 weeks now.
I'm gonna learn it on the guitar.

I Eat At Mom's

Don't worry. This isn't a public service announcement for breastfeeding. I hope not, anyway. Here in Jville they have a program called "Breastfeeding is Best." They have women that come into the hospital to help new moms with nursing. They helped me a TON with Drew (never could get it down with Owen - for him bottle-feeding was best). So anyway they have been calling to check in on our progress every now and then. They offered cheesy prizes when I reached 6 weeks and 6 months of nursing (everything with their logo). I never went to claim those rewards. But when the 1-year reward was a TARGET gift card... that got me out of my seat. I figured it'd be $5 but it was actually $15. Not bad. And plus I got this snazzy certificate! It made me laugh. Now I'm ALL DONE!

4 Leaf Clovers

Today we went to a St. Patrick's Day Festival. This napkin was my favorite part of it, that's how bad it was (wee leprechauns get jiggy?!)

A) It was on the corner of a run-down street in downtown Jacksonville (think downtown Mesa before it started getting made over, only uglier).

B) It was 50 degrees outside.

C) I heard about it from an article in the paper that made it sound quite exciting with all sorts of vendors, and a fire truck, police car, etc. There was 1 vendor - a trailer selling hot dogs and funnel cakes. There was a fire truck - that was okay, Owen liked that but was very shy of the firemen.

D) Owen was disappointed because Patrick from SpongeBob wasn't there (it was St. PATRICK'S day so he obviously should've been there).

E) There was this bagpipe player outside. He was kind of cool. That was all the entertainment though. The rest of the festivities were inside some real estate office where they were just trying to get business with a strange assortment of green foods.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Big Day

Rachel wanted Drew to open his present while I was on the phone with her. We were playing outside and in the garage, hence the cement.

While we were singing to Drew he put out the candle with his fingers. Not sure if it hurt, he didn't cry. But he didn't want anything to do with the cake after that. His cake was supposed to be a leaf. I stress "SUPPOSED." Now you know why they can decorate their own cakes from now on.

This was my favorite part of the night... I read the story while Owen and friends acted it out. They put their arms through the posters I had made of everything the caterpillar ate through (see the wall of the next pic).

Things The Very Hungry Caterpillar Ate:

The caterpillar did NOT eat a slice of pepperoni pizza, drink lemonade, or eat crackers just FYI.

Oh and here's the whole pic from my post yesterday. I just liked that Owen is gurgling water. Probably urine water. Ew.

Then And Now

19 lbs and approximately 27 inches on his 1st Birthday

Birthday Traditions

It's naptime and I should be spending my free time preparing for Drew's party but I keep getting distracted! So I was wondering what birthday traditions you have that I can steal? We have a few...

The Birthday CD is my favorite. I made it for Owen's 1st Birthday Party. And now we listen to it whenever there's a birthday in the house.
It has:
"You Say It's Your Birthday" by The Beatles (of course)
"Happy Birthday To You" by Stevie Wonder (my favorite)
Some cool jazzy version of the birthday song
A crazy clown/kid version of the song (that's actually kind of creepy)
A different kid birthday song
"It's My Party and I'll Cry if I want To."

I wanted to use 50 Cent's "It's Your Birthday" but didn't think the kids should "sip Bacardi like it's your birthday."

Another tradition I just decided is that from now on they can decorate their own birthday cakes. Owen loved doing that last year and it was fun (versus stressful).

When I was growing up we got to pick what we wanted to eat all 3 meals; when we had an odd-numbered birthday we went out to dinner with my dad; for even birthdays we got a party (had to ration the parties with 8 kids); and last but not least we got to drink out of the birthday cup! It was a glass cup that had Peanuts (Charlie Brown) pictures all over it. I think it was some McDonald's collectible. But of course it's broken now. I think that might be why I'm obsessed with glass cups now... cause we always had to use the Tupperware ones (burnt orange and pea green) and the GLASS one was for birthdays!

Best Friends

Mother Nature and I are best friends today. It feels SO good outside. It's perfect degrees.

I wonder which half of the necklace she wants?

The Finished Product(s)

Owen's hairline in 30 years if he takes after my dad

He kept staring at his reflection in the window and smiling. At least he likes his haircut! Actually I kind of do too.

What Have I Done?

This morning, or was it last night? Justin mentioned Owen needed a haircut. Justin always does this but I did a little bit of the last one and thought, "How hard can it be?" So after breakfast I got to work. I was mostly done and was just trimming around his ear when I thought I better go over the back one more time. And ya I forgot to put the attachment on the clippers and buzzed that thick strip right down to his scalp. I freaked and just stopped right there cause I didn't want to buzz his whole head. But I'm afraid I have no other choice. Everyone here is going to think I want my son to have a military haircut. Nooooooooo!

Gopher Guy

Lucky me now has a gopher in the family to go along with the goat. Which reminds me of...

We are the gopher girls...
We always gopher guys...
They never gopher us...
I wonder why!
(act like a gopher w/buck teeth at the end)

Drew now has exactly FOUR days for that scratch on his right cheek to heal (Owen pushed him off the back deck), for the bruise above his left eye to disappear (tripped on one of my shoes), and for me to wipe his face before he will be all ready for a million birthday pictures!

Lindsey

Happy Birthday to Lindsey!

(pictured here w/Sophie, who Kip helped her make - he also took this pic during her family bday party on Sunday)

You would never know it but she's pregnant!

Now for a brief look back...

The Pink Adobe Casa
(that Katie referred to)
This was Spring Break '97.
Since we couldn't go to Rocky Point, we went to Mexico in our very own Mesa. Did you know this place was really called The Buckeroo Motor Lodge?

"Modeling" Session
We didn't really think we were modeling (or did we?) but we put on our cutest clothes (that were mostly Lindsey's) or anything we could find that coordinated and took lots of pics.

Contempo Portraits Photo Session
("Come in for a FREE 8x10")

Girls Camp '94

On the back of this picture I wrote "Pooch" and "Chuck"
Ya we had cool nicknames for each-other.

Hope you had a great day!

Wish I could've shared some Mangos with you!

(pictures published without permission)

You're Invited

Please come!

p.s. Any ideas how I can make this invite a little better? Feels like it's missing something...

Seusville

Today is Dr. Seuss's birthday (103rd I believe)! This year is also the 50th anniversary of "The Cat in the Hat." Last night our local library had a birthday party to celebrate. Thing 1 and Thing 2 hosted (Thing 1 was wearing a blue wig but I didn't get a pic in time). They told stories, let the kids play with oobleck, helped everyone make their own cat hats, and then there was dancing (including the limbo) and cupcakes. Drew was totally into the dancing, it was so cute. So anyway I checked out the Dr. Seuss website seussville.com and it's so cute too! You can create an online bday card to send to the cat and for every card they receive they'll donate a book to a program they have called First Book. They'll do that up to 1,000,000 books. When we did it we were 790,000 something. Owen recommends the "One Fish Two Fish Concentration" game on the site.

This morning I tried to make green eggs and it didn't quite work. It's hard to get the green in there without scrambling them. And those eggs are definitely not scrambled in the book. I forgot to dye the waffles green (we didn't have ham). But that's what St. Patrick's Day is for!

Payday

It's payday, yay! Payday is usually a good thing. It means money...

It means candy bars...(when I worked at Rural Metro I thought I was funny by buying myself a PayDay every payday from the vending machine in the break room)


But payday also means Justin just passed gas and you better run. His friend that went on his mission to Brazil taught him that "payday" is Portuguese for tooting. I'm sure that's not even true. And if for some reason it is, I'm sure I spelled it wrong. But either way Justin thinks he's quite funny whenever he says it. And I don't! :)